How the VPD Will Change the UK Vaping Industry

The UK Vaping Products Duty (VPD) takes effect on 1 October and will change the vaping industry significantly. The new regulation will add a duty of £2.20 to every 10 ml of e-liquid, regardless of whether it contains nicotine or not.

The VPD may not impact consumer prices immediately. Many retailers have been stocking up in anticipation of this event and will have until April 2027 to sell any remaining pre-duty products purchased before October.

After that, though, the grace period will be over – and every e-liquid product sold in the UK will have the duty applied. Some retailers may absorb a portion of the duty to keep their prices as low as possible, but some duties will simply be too large to absorb because competition has already forced most vape shops to reduce their profit margins to the absolute minimum.

The VPD will transform the vaping industry in the UK. These are the top changes that we expect.

Shortfill E-Liquids Will Become Difficult to Find

If you prefer a low-nicotine vaping setup, the first change you’ll notice as a result of the VPD is that shortfill e-liquids will become difficult to find. A 120 ml shortfill bottle with 100 ml of e-liquid will attract a massive duty of £22 but only costs a total of about £15 today – and that’s before the nicotine shots are added. Add nic shots and VAT, and you’re looking at a total cost likely approaching £50.

Many wholesale vape liquid providers have reportedly offered the last of their shortfill supplies at clearance prices, and some are reportedly considering getting out of the industry entirely.

Refillable Vape Users Will Switch to Higher Nicotine Strengths

Because the e-liquid duty doesn’t change with nicotine strength, it’s likely that many of the people who use refillable vapes will switch to higher strengths than what they currently use. Some will switch to 20 mg/ml freebase e-liquids for greater throat hit, and others will use nic salts for greater smoothness. To enable the switch, many of the people who currently use vape mods will begin using smaller refillable pod vapes.

Higher prices will make vapers want to buy more efficiently, and that’ll be the core reason for this change. Since the duty is the same regardless of how much nicotine the e-liquid contains, it makes sense to buy the highest strength possible. That way, you’ll get the most possible nicotine for your money and will use less vape juice overall.

Big Puff Vapes Will Become More Popular

It’s highly likely that the VPD will make pre-filled big puff vapes even more popular in the UK than they are today, and the reason is that many people won’t find the price increase that significant. A typical 2+10 vape with 12 ml of e-liquid costs around £12 today. The 12 ml of vape juice will attract an additional £2.64 duty, bringing the final price to somewhere around £15. Compared to the previous price, the post-duty price simply won’t seem that different to most people.

It’s entirely possible, though, that the VPD will have an unintended effect on the way people use pre-filled big puff vapes. Typically, a refill kit for this type of device costs only around £2 less than the price of the device itself. After the VPD takes effect, though, the kits and refills will increase in price by the same amount. The price difference between them will feel smaller than it does now. As a result, some people might use big puff vapes as if they were disposable and skip the refill kits entirely.

Small Pre-Filled Pods Will Make a Comeback

People want to vape conveniently. That’s why pre-filled vapes are so popular even though refillable vapes cost less in the long run. We think it’s possible that pre-filled vapes with smaller 2 ml pods – and potentially even cigalikes – could make a comeback after the VPD takes effect because the price increase will feel much smaller compared to other types of vapes.

A 2 ml pod is a self-contained unit that feels basically like a pack of cigarettes to many people. Vapers understand that a 2 ml pod with a high nicotine strength is designed to provide enough e-liquid for about a day of use. For those who currently use more than 2 ml of vape juice per day, switching to a smaller pod system might be a good way to encourage lower daily consumption and save money.

The most important reason why the VPD is likely to make smaller vapes more popular, though, is because the price increase won’t feel very significant. A 2 ml pod will attract a duty of just 44 pence, and many people will barely notice the difference. Anyone currently using a smaller pre-filled vape will feel as if the new price is about the same as what they’re paying now.

Nicotine Pouch Sales Will Explode

One of the most interesting things about the VPD is that it was designed to make one type of nicotine product less affordable but left another type completely untouched. As of September 2026, there is no special duty attached to nicotine pouches in Britain, and nothing appears to be in the works. Nicotine pouches are already extremely affordable compared to vapes for the amount of nicotine they provide, and they’re going to feel even more affordable after the VPD takes effect.

The nicotine pouch category is already booming in the UK, and it’s likely that many people will at least consider switching from vapes to pouches once the VPD takes effect. Even those who don’t switch fully to pouches might begin using them on a part-time basis to reduce their consumption of more expensive e-liquids.

If you’ve noticed that your favourite vape shop seems to have a lot more nicotine pouch brands in stock today compared to a few months ago, now you know why. You don’t have to be an expert prognosticator to predict that nicotine pouches are about to become extremely popular in Britain because that’s exactly where all of the signs are currently pointing.